The Boxtrolls (2014)

A young orphaned boy raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors tries to save his friends from an evil exterminator.

Directors:

Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi

Writers:

Irena Brignull (screenplay), Adam Pava (screenplay)

Stars:

Ben Kingsley, Jared Harris, Nick Frost

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 59 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Blum	...	Shoe / Sparky (voice)
Dee Bradley Baker	...	Fish / Wheels / Bucket (voice)
Max Mitchell	...	Baby Eggs (voice)
Ben Kingsley	...	Snatcher (voice)
Jared Harris	...	Lord Portley-Rind (voice)
Nick Frost	...	Mr. Trout (voice)
Richard Ayoade	...	Mr. Pickles (voice)
Tracy Morgan	...	Mr. Gristle (voice)
Nika Futterman	...	Oil Can / Knickers (voice)
Pat Fraley	...	Fragile / Sweets (voice)
Fred Tatasciore	...	Clocks / Specs (voice)
Isaac Hempstead Wright	...	Eggs (voice)
Elle Fanning	...	Winnie Portley-Rind (voice)
Maurice LaMarche	...	Sir Langsdale (voice)
James Urbaniak	...	Sir Broderick / Male Workman 1 / Male Workman 2 (voice)

Storyline

THE BOXTROLLS are a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs in the amazing cavernous home they've built beneath the streets of a city called Cheesebridge. The story is about a young orphaned boy raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors who tries to save his friends from an evil exterminator, the town's villain, Archibald Snatcher. When Snatcher comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls. Eggs decides to venture above ground and "into the light," where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie. Together, they devise a daring plan to save The BoxTrolls family. The film is based upon the children's novel 'Here Be Monsters' by Alan Snow.

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Plot Keywords:

stop motion animation | chase | boy hero | cheese allergy | genocide | 

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Taglines:

Dare to be square.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for action, some peril and mild rude humor

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tracy Morgan based his performance of Mr. Gristle on comedian Lenny Henry.

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Goofs

When the teddy bear's music box runs down, Baby Eggs hands the mechanism to Fish who gives the key only two half-turns. The music box then plays again, with its key somehow able to unwind for many revolutions. Later on after the Boxtrolls wake up, this impossibility is repeated, but is even worse since now the key winds/unwinds in the opposite direction.

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Quotes

Eggs: [practicing his manners] It's a pleasure too meet you! It's a pleasure too meet you

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Crazy Credits

After the first part of the credits, Mr. Trout and Mr. Pickles have a philosophical discussion about their place in the world while, around them, that world carries on.

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Alternate Versions

In the Latin American Spanish dubbing, Madam Fru Fru speaks in an Argentinean accent instead of a French one, and her song becomes a tango.

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Connections

Referenced in RebelTaxi: Top 10 WORST Animated CARTOON Moments of 2016 (RebelTaxi) (2017)

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Soundtracks

Quattro Sabatino
Music and Lyrics by Dario Marianelli
Performed by Peter Harris, Alex Tsilogiannis, Thomas Kennedy and Edmund Saddington

User Reviews

Maybe a classic

For the potential viewers of this film, don't worry if you didn't read the book Here Be Monsters! first. The Boxtrolls movie stands on its own as an excellent story wrapped in visuals that pay homage to the craft of stop motion animation. It's funny, clever, gross, a bit cheeky, and a bit dark. Everything kids and many adults who accompany them or with others in the age group will enjoy. Whether it will be a classic or not, is hard to say.

The Boxtrolls are, well, basically trolls that have boxes they use as clothes and safety. They are a modest and timid sort. They are also industrious and like all kinds of gadgets. Since the story takes place around the time of the Industrial Revolution, there is no shortage of gears, crankshafts, bolts, wheels, or any manner of metal part they try to put to some other use. They also are good at babysitting. None more so than Fish and Shoe, the two de facto fathers of one young boy that goes by the name of Eggs (it should be noted that their names are the names of the boxes they wear).

Without getting into too much detail about the origins of their young charge, these three along with the other Boxtrolls have been labeled as kidnapping, baby eating, monsters by the fine townfolk of Cheesebridge. Led by the elite White Hats and their leader Lord Portly-Rind (Jared Harris) and the upwardly mobile Red Hat Archie Snatcher (Ben Kingsley), they have vowed to eradicate their hamlet of the Boxtroll vermin. The only thing more important than accomplishing this task is their love of all types of cheese. Some of the funniest and strangest scenes of the film is the discussions and consumption of cheese by the ruling class and the aforementioned Mr. Snatcher.

Besides a wonderful voice acting performance by Sir Kingsley, The Boxtrolls is full of great turns. Two of Mr. Snatch's henchmen Mr. Pickles and Mr. Trout, (Richard Ayoade and Nick Frost, respectively) offer up metaphysical and philosophical commentary musings about life and their career choices. On the other hand, the overzealous Mr. Gristle (Tracy Morgan) is a man of few words, rather letting his actions do the talking. Elle Fanning (Maleficent) and Isaac Hempstead Wright (Game Of Thrones) are a perfect match as Winnie, the daughter of Lord Portly-Rind and Eggs. She teaches him how to act in public, while he indulges her thirst for all things creepy and crawly.

The look of The Boxtrolls can be summed up in one word: amazing. Not in a super saturated color, larger than life way, but in a painstakingly meticulous, attention to detail way. Although the film is in 3d and might lose something when viewed on a smaller screen, the skill, reverence and affection the animation/modeling team poured into the sets and characters, along with top shelf screen writing and acting make this film one of the best animated features to come out in quite a while.

• See more at: www.mediumraretv.org

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Here Be Monsters

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,275,239, 28 September 2014

Gross USA:

$50,837,305

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$108,255,770

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Laika Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1